No man's choice
by Aalvina
Summary: Oneshot. Hermione and Ron are forced into a false marriage.


**Hi! This is a small oneshot I wanted to make. I hope you like it. Reviexs are welcomed ^^.**

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« We want you to get married. »

Hermione and Ron starred blankly at the minister of Magic while he explained his worries about tensions in the magical community and the fact that Ron and her were public figures showing hope in these troubled times.

Ron and Hermione had been dating for less than a year, they were happy but far from thinking about marriage.

« I... don't think we are ready for this. » said Hermione.

The minister closed his mouth and sighed.

« I am sorry miss Granger but this is not a request, it's an order. »

« You can't force us ! » shouted Ron.

But they could. Letters came every day in their homes with propaganda about the happiness they would find in marriage. They could not get promotion in their jobs, boss saying they were too young and since they hadn't made a commitment to one another, people thought they could not handle more responsabilities.

Hermione shouted, fought, gave interviews that never got published. They had battled the worst wizard of all time but they were unable to stop this nonsense. And they were exausted, Hermione and Ron had spent their childhood battling dark wizards and fighting for the good cause. They just had no fighting in them anymore.

They loved each over so they accepted their defeat and got married. It did not change a lot of things in the first year of their marriage.

They got their promotions, Hermione was able to do a lot of work in the Departement for Magical Creatures Rights. It did not seem that awful.

Slowly they fell out of love. Never hating each over, they just stopped loving each other. Ron struggled with his feelings, trying so hard to make it work but finally they decided to break up. The minister refused for them to divorce. In just a few years, thanks to huge propaganda, marriage became the one thing you could not break in the wizarding community. It felt like they got fifty years back in time.

Ron and Hermione, lived together, stayed married but were just Ron started to secretly date another woman, they agreed he could not see her in their house so they secretly bought an appartment in muggle London. Hermione buried herself in work and created a perfect mask. No one saw the truth behind it. She did not care for anything, felt empty and tired, so tired of trying to be the « Brightest witch of this age » as everyone put it.

She was not allowed to fail at a single thing, she had to be brilliant, successful, happy. No one knew about her break up with Ron. It was too dangerous to let his family or their friends know about it. If the newspaper heard about it, the government would make their lives a living hell. The only one they would have wanted to share their situation with was Harry, but they barely saw him anymore, too busy with his work and relationship with Ginny.

On day, after work she went into a bar, just to stop thinking for a bit. She did not pay attention to anyone and she was already sitting with a drink in her hand when she understood who was sitting beside her. Draco Malfoy himself. He looked at her and slowly raised his glass in a silent salute but something stroke her. His face. He had the same look on his face as her. The one of a perfect mask that started to peel of after a tiring day.

They were the same.

At first it seemed nothing of importance but she went back. They sat next to another, then started to talk. He was the head of his family fortune, what the ministry had not taken after the war. Having to keep up with his family expectations even if he did not believed in the same things anymore.

She understood, somehow. It felt familiar. And so day after day they would meet again. It took them months to kiss one another and she did not understand how hard she had fallen for the man before they had sex for the first time. Feeling his hands on her body felt so good, she felt free. A feeling she had not had for so long. She fell in love but he was the first to admit it.

On day, she found Ron crying in his hands, sitting on their sofa. She sat next to him, her friend and waited for him to talk.

« I am so tired. I love her Hermione. I want... I want to be happy. Why can't we be happy. I know you love Draco, you know I love Helen. Why can't they let us be happy. »

She had no answer. When Ron and Helen got into a serious relashionship they tried to convince the minister that they had no buisness being married anymore but the man would not change his mind. Their marriage was the perfect one. If they divorced, they both would be dragged in the dirt. Ron and Helen would be seen as paria in this Oh so Moral new society.

They had no way out.

« I want to go away. » she admitted on day to Draco.

« Where ? »

« Away. Where no one knows us. Think about it. We could be together, building a life free of anyone expectation. Ron and Helen could marry, he could have the family he wants so much. »

« Hermione, if we do that, it would free Ron but both of us would be seen as home-breaker. We would never be able to come back in magical London. »

« I have nothing holding me back. » she answered very calmly. He stared at her blankly and nodded.

* * *

 _Ron Weasley ! Happy again_

 _an article by Rita Skeeters_

 _We were all shocked to hear about Hermione Weasley and Draco Malfoy affair when they both disappeared a year ago and left the poor war hero Ron Weasley heart broken. But finally happiness has been found. Mr Weasley broke his marriage with his wife Hermione a month after she disappeared and six month after we could see him meeting and dating the beautiful Helen Dani. We are happy to announce they got married last week in front of their family and friends. It seemed Ronald Weasley is a lot happier now than he was with his former wife. He still refuses to comment on that episode of his life leaving all of us curious about what awful things Hermione Granger might have put him through._

 _Yours wickedly,_

Hermione smiled at the newspaper, not caring about the insults the journalist threw at her. Ron was happy and so was she. He had been in a difficult position, lying about her, and waiting for a decent amount of time before being with Helen. She felt Draco arms circling her waist and leant on him. Draco was slowly building a potion making buisness while she worked on creating a school of magic in China. The country only had small local schools and most wizards had to leave the country to specialize in some kind of magic.

« I love you. » she wispered.

« So do I ».

They were where no one would search for them, away. Their lives were finally their choice.


End file.
